


non-binary Jason

by VikingShadows



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other, gender queer, gender-queer, gq, non binary, non-binary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 07:39:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2183454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VikingShadows/pseuds/VikingShadows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason is gender-queer and is trying to understand himself/themselves and what he's going through.<br/>He feels lost and alone until the people who matters the most to him finds out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	non-binary Jason

**Author's Note:**

> I chose to write Jason's pronouns with "he" and not "they" to simplify it for readers who are unfamiliar with gender-queer topics.  
> I apologize in advance if I offend anyone, I do not mean to, I only write from personal experiences.
> 
> Please enjoy and please do not hate on this, if you do not like queer related topics such as; dysphoria, gender-labels or the lgbtqap spectrum then don't read this.

Jason looked in the mirror he put up I the Zeus cabin, gazing at himself up and down. He wore Piper’s shirt and it was definitely too small, it dug into his armpits and when he tried to pull it off he got stuck. He liked Piper’s clothes, whenever she left some in his cabin after spending an innocent sleepover there… he tried it on.  
  
He wasn’t entirely sure why he did it, he had his hunches though. It’s not that he wanted to be a girl he was comfortable with his body. It was just that.. well.. sometimes he thought he looked a bit too masculine. A little bit too much eye-candy for teenage girls. It’s not who he was; he liked feminine things (gods forbid he surrounded himself with it whenever he had a chance). Piper had figured him out pretty quickly and did not hesitate to call him pretty instead of handsome. It was things like that that made Jason love Piper – she just got it.  
  
The son of Jupiter did not know if Piper left her clothes there on purpose for him, but if she did he was thankful. He put on a black skirt, and stepped out of his jeans to look at himself in it. it didn’t look bad, he looked kinda stylish really. He dedicated a brief moment to wonder why men didn’t wear dresses and skirts? It looked good on them! Women used to not be allowed to wear pants, and he felt the same thing about skirts. It’s just a piece of cloth, it doesn’t tell you what gender you are!  
  
However, even if that’s how he felt about women’s clothes… He could no longer push the thought out of his mind: ‘ _am I really one hundred percent a guy?_ ’  
He liked being a guy, that wasn’t the problem. It’s just that he wished he could look more androgen? More in-between the genders? Maybe 60% guy and 40% girl? Right now he looked like everything a guy wanted to look like and everything a girl wanted to put her arms around.  
  
He sighed and put on a camp-half-blood shirt. There was no way he would walk out like this in camp, no way. Everyone would look and question him, everyone would ask why he did it and to reply honestly with ‘ _I feel pretty wearing it’_ sounded very gay. Not that there was anything wrong with being gay or fabulous! Not at all, he fully supported it and one of his best friends; Nico, was gay.  
Jason liked girls! But, he felt like a girl sometimes, or at least feminine? Ugh, it was all so confusing.  
  
Was he transgender? A transwoman? Id that make him a lesbian? No, he liked having a guy body, he just… liked typically feminine things? Like pastel colors, cute kittens, frilly things, to cook and bake, dresses, magical anime girls, romantic movies, he was emotional and liked cuddling, sweet things and- wait a minute who said any of those things had to be just for girls? Guys coul do those things too! what kind of sexist bullshit was going on here! Maybe he wasn’t partly a girl? Maybe it was just society screwing up gender norms!   
So...  
So where did that leave him? What was he? No that wasn’t right, he was pretty sure he was at least to some degree also a girl.. or… maybe he was neither boy or girl? Was he both at the same time? Like a hermaphroditical soul? Or maybe he was a third gender all together? Or no gender at all? What was that term again..? agender! Aha! Maybe that was the best way to describe him. He wasn’t any gender at all, he was just _Jason_.  
  
Or maybe this was all just in his head and he was just crazy. Maybe he literally just thought so much about this that he had talked himself into it being true? Maybe all those books and blogs he read about this subject made him over-analyze himself and he was just fooling himself all along. Maybe he just wanted to be different, but then, why did it make him feel like shit instead of better? Why did it feel so honest and true? Why did it make him want to see if there was something else underneath his skin. What if he didn’t find anything. What if…  
  
Jason stared at himself in the mirror and met his own clear sky-blue eyes. He pulled a hand through his blonde hair; it had grown out a little but not a lot.  
He stroked his neck and felt a wave of discomfort as he looked himself over again; he looked at the black skirt in his reflection, and the dumb white socks on his feet, then back up to his own eyes and they didn’t look so clear any more. Like gray clouds had swept over a bright day.  
  
The world rest on his shoulder and pressed down on him with the words ‘ _you’re confused and you have no idea what or who you are. Just be a guy, man up, why make it difficult for yourself? You just want to be special, you just want an explanation of why you like girly things; why you chose pink over blue, why you would choose a cute shirt over a cool one. You’re making a big mistake. You are going to embarrass yourself; you are going to end up telling people you’re something you aren’t. then tell people it was just a phase, even if you’ve felt this way your whole life, even if there’s breadcrumbs of clues through your childhood, their all just things you’ve twisted into fitting this present idea you got. This false made up illusion of your gender!’  
‘you’re just confused Jason.’  
_ Jason saw himself in his reflection and curled his hands into fists. He felt like he was standing on a trial, naked in a spotlight, forced to make a decision with all the people who watched him was against him. Like he had to prove himself somehow, prove that his feelings were real and not just made up due to a phase. But how could he when he wasn’t really sure himself? How could you defend it when the only thing you have is ‘ _I just feel it._ ’  
What if some day he wouldn't feel this way any more? what if he had told people he was gender-queer and then go out and say "oh by the way? never mind."  
  
He felt lost, confused, and he wasn’t sure who to talk to about this. Piper would understand, but what if she left him? sure if she can't be with him for who he truly is maybe it is for the better but.... but he loved Piper.  
And would Thalia, his big sister, understand him? His only family member who took care of him when he was a toddler; when their mother came home late, drunk and crying because some paparazzi were harassing her on the club. What would Thalia think? Thalia was part of the hunters of Artemis, would they think Jason was okay to be around now that he was.. maybe.. 40% a girl? It was less bad than 100% boy. Oh gods, what if she never wanted to look at him again? He’d lose the only family he had left, the only person whose approval really mattered.  
  
He sighed and thought to himself it was time to remove Piper’s skirt when;  
“What are you doing?”  
Jason turned quickly to the corner of the room where Nico di Angelo had shadow travelled himself. They looked at each other for a painful two whole minutes.  
“uh… nothing? Just.. Piper forgot her skirt here.”  
“So,” Nico nodded to him. “You’re trying it on?” The son of Hades rose an eyebrow. And Jason felt his heart beat hard against his ribcage. How was he supposed to get out of this? Nico had a hard time accepting he was gay himself, how would he ever accept something as farfetched as ‘ _I think I might not be fully a guy I think I may also be a girl but I am not sure maybe I don’t have a gender are you cool with that?_ ’  
“I’m…. oh gods, please don’t tell anyone.” Jason’s eyes brimmed with tears and he put his hands to his face. “Please don’t tell anyone.”  
Nico blinked at his friend, looking genially surprised at the request. “Why would I? Jason are.. are you alright?”  
Jason sat down on his bed and avoided his friend. “No just- please leave.” He was pretty sure Nico would leave, but instead the guy had moved to sit on the floor in front of him, peeking up at him with furrowed brows and a worried expression. Jason’s blue eyes were crystal with water.  
  
Their eyes met and Nico rose up, giving him a big hug. Nico didn’t give hugs, Nico di Angelo hated hugs; he was not a hugger. And there he was, holding Jason like he meant everything to him.  
Jason let out a sob and hugged him back. He needed this. He sobbed against his friend with a muffled voice, his fingers grasped at the aviators jacket Nico always wore like it was a life line.  
Nico’s hand brushed Jason’s hair and rubbed his back.  
  
“You’re fine, I’m here.” Nico said with a quiet voice. And Jason just sobbed, he hadn’t known he had kept this much tears in about it. He had no idea this had meant so much to him that he’d stick to Nico like this; begging for the comfort he was receiving. Nico kept hushing him and stroking his back.  
“You’re alright pal, you’re okay.”  
  
When Jason’s tears finally ran out and his breathe returned, Nico sat down next to him with an arm still stroking his friend’s back.  
“I’m sorry about that..” Jason said with a stuffed voice and a sad smile. Nico frowned.  
“Don’t be sorry. You can be yourself with me.”  
it meant a lot to Jason to hear that, even if Nico didn’t know what this was all about; just hearing the words ‘ _you can be yourself with me’_ carried such weight to him.  
Jason chuckled and rubbed his eyes. “Likewise.”  
“I know that.” Nico huffed and looked at Jason with concern. “So, mind telling me what this is about?”  
Jason hesitated, but when he saw the genuine expression on Nico’s face; something inside him dropped like a rock and let a light balloon flow to the surface.  
“I think I might not be a guy, I think I’m also  girl.”  
Nico furrowed his brows. “Huh?”  
“like..” Jason looked at his knees and pulled the skirt over them to cover. “I like being a guy, but, I also.. sometimes… I really like being feminine. I want-  feel- I’m not a transgender” Nico looked like he never heard that term before. “uh, transgender means that you’re born in the wrong body, so.. if I was transgender I would want to be in a girl body and vice versa. You can take medication to change your body, gender reconstruction, to fit how you feel inside. But that’s not what I am.”  
“okay..” Nico said but kept his eyes on his best friend. “So.. what are you then?”  
  
Jason looked at Nico with a perplexed expression. “You don’t think it’s weird?”  
“I thought me being gay was weird, but after talking with you about it… and then Piper… I feel like it’s not that big of a deal. And I mean, if sexualities are such a vast spectrum, why can’t gender be too? I never heard about it, but now that you mention it, why would it be so different?”  
  
Son of Jupiter was honestly really dumbstruck by this. Not in a million years ad he thought someone as uninterested in these things as Nico would come to such an easy conclusion; he sounded like it wasn’t that big of a deal and that yeah! Duh, of course people were different!  
And suddenly the world didn’t seem so heavy any more.  
  
“I don’t know… I just… it’s not as out in the light as sexualities are y’know?”  
“No, I don’t know.”  
“Right, sorry, I forget you’re not so up to date with this era.”  
Nico gave him a fond smile. “it’s alright, that is why I got you and Piper. I was just hanging out with her, Frank and Hazel and they were trying to explain to me what internet was.”  
Jason snorted. “it is easier to see it than hear about it.”  
“I figured. Something about platforms on a net. It made no sense at all.” Jason laughed at that, and gosh did it feel nice to laugh. Nico just smiled at him. “Sorry! Sorry!” Jason giggled.  
“No, don’t be. It’s good to hear you laugh after hearing you cry.”  
Jason shy away with his gaze and looked at the floor. “Is… is this alright with you then? If I’m, uh, gender-queer? I don’t really know what I am yet, I’m still figuring things out and.. um..”  
“Hey, it’s cool with me.” Nico gave him a reassuring grin. “if you ever need someone to talk to, you know how to find me.”  
Jason smiled “No, I don’t actually.”  
Nico snorted. “oh, right” he said sarcastically. “I forget you're Jason Grace, the person who totally always give up on finding me somehow. it's not like you dragged me back to camp in the first place or anything, after literally hunting me down for a week, noo, not at all.”  
they both laughed.  
“No but.. seriously..” Nico continued. “I’m not going anywhere, I changed my mind. I’m staying in camp, so I will be I my cabin or my other usual places.” He paused. "You were right... I should give this place a chance."  
Jason smiled and hugged his friend. He was so happy to have him there, to listen, to just accept and understand this was a big deal to Jason even if Nico didn’t get it. The fact Nico even wanted to stick around and let Jason contact him whenever was not just a big step for their friendship; it was for Jason too. He had someone to talk to.  
  
“So..” Nico said and nodded towards Piper’s open bag. “Piper knows then?”  
“No..” He admitted. “But I think she has a hunch.”  
“Are you scared to tell her?”  
“A little, I mean, I’m not even sure what’s wrong with me yet.” That earned him a karate-chop on the head and he looked at Nico’s scornful face.  
“Nothing’s wrong with you.”  
Jason smiled, glad for the correction.  
“So anyway you wanna try on some more then? I see make up in there.”  
“Oh- uh, I don’t dare try her make up. I’m not sure how to get it off, so..”  
“Alright well, she got other things in there. I see a dress and some shirts.”  
“yeah…”  
“Well, go on then.”  
“Huh?”  
“I came here because I wanted to hang out with you. If we are going to play dress up then we’re going to play dress-up, I used to do it with Bianca when we were little. I’m pretty sure I can shadow travel into the Hermes and Aphrodite cabin and ‘borrow’ some clothes.”  
Jason smiled and crooked a blonde eyebrow. “you’re going to play dress-up with me?”  
“Why not?” Nico shrugged. “You’re my best friend, and this seems important to you.”  
“…I’m.. I’m your best friend?”  
“…don’t get mushy with me Jason Grace, do you want to do this or not?”  
“Oh! Yes! Sure, thank you- if you really want to tough, you really don’t have to, I mean-“  
“Jason, it’s alright. Let’s just block the entrance door to your cabin and we’re good.”  
Jason hugged Nico again, smiling wider. If he had a tail, it would be wagging.  
  
After Nico ha _borrowed_ Piper’s entire luggage from the Aphrodite cabin the two of them began testing things out. Jason and Nico ended up having a lot of fun doing so, and Jason told him that he was a little envious of Nico’s slim body; because it was more androgynous than his own; to which Nico replied that he wished he looked more like Jason because it was more handsome, but quickly added that on Jason; it just looked pretty.   
Nico didn’t have any problem shifting the masculine terms to feminine around Jason; calling him pretty and cute rather than handsome and cool. It’s not that Jason didn’t like looking cool and handsome, it was more that he always got to hear that and never any of the other, nothing that confirmed he was also feminine.  
  
As Nico put on a pair of tights that definitely did not fit him (but turned out to fit Jason much better because of that nice butt of his), they got onto the subject about  why society had gender norms, what was good and bad about it, what gender was and how to tell if you were gender queer or not considering that HEY; the way you talk, walk and act, ‘nor what you like, who you love or the way you dress… actually got anything to do with what gender you feel like inside.  
Clothes are just clothes, they don’t have a gender, but they quickly discovered that clothes for girls were tailored differently (and rather impractically), and that men’s clothes was extremely limited in colors.  
They wondered if there was some kind of unisex type of clothes that Jason could try out? Nico offered to shadow travel into those stores and steal clothes for Jason but he promptly declined since that was against his moral! But Nico seemed to plan on doing it anyway if such store ever came up.  
They also talked about how girls were allowed to wear boys clothes but not the other way around? Somehow it was okay to dress like a man but not like a woman? What the heck was up with that?  
  
Some of Piper’s clothes fit really great on Jason, some really… really.. didn’t. Nico accidentally tore one of Piper’s shirts when he got stuck pulling it off. That’s how they discovered that with girl shirts you had to cross your arms and pull from the front, not reach for the neck and pull them off from over your head. Nico promised to get her a new one.  
  
They spent the whole day there, skipping lunch and everything. When they had tried everything and began getting hungry, they changed back and Nico returned her clothes (after they folded everything neatly).  
They went to share a late lunch together, and Jason was just… really grateful he got somebody to talk about this with. Even if all these topics had been completely forgein and new to Nico, he had still kept an open mind. Most of the time it was more about ‘ _Huh, I never thought about that.. that’s pretty interesting_.’  
  
The days that followed, Jason and Nico snuck away to either talk about Jason’s dysphoria or Nico’s awful crush on Percy. They helped each other out, Nico even got Jason a pink bracelet with a butterfly on it as a friendship bracelet. Nico had an alike one but his was gray and blue with a butterfly drenched in rainbow colors. Like it was some kind of secret code for them; how Jason was hiding he was gender-queer and Nico was hiding he was gay.  
Percy Jackson had asked Jason about the bracelet and he had explained he got it from Nico as a sign of friendship.  
Jason worried that Percy would question his masculinity but instead he got; “What? I never got a friendship bracelet from Nico! Aawwww man, I’m jealous…. Oh it got a butterfly on it. is it because you can fly? If that’s the case I want a turtle on mine- oh oh! I can get Nico a skull!”  
“Uh, Nico’s is also a butterfly though.” Jason said, still a little nervous.  
“Oh? Oh then I’ll get him a turtle too, then!”  
  
And that’s how Jason and Nico started the friendship bracelet trend. Not that they minded so much, they were just happy nobody seemed to care they did such a girly thing or even asked about the rainbows and feminine pink.  
Jason’s favorite bracelet was the butterfly he got from Nico, and the winged heart he got from Piper.  
  
Nico and Jason also thought up gender pronouns to use for Jason. They ended up with ‘ _they_ ’ and ‘ _he_ ’ because that’s what Jason felt fit him the best. ‘ _They_ ’ because it referred to his non-binary, and ‘ _he_ ’ because he was just used to it and didn’t feel anything wrong with being a ‘ _he_ ’ (as much as there was nothing wrong with being a ‘ _she_ ’, but he wasn’t used to it or comfortable with it – it was about what felt right to Jason and made him feel better about himself.)  
Although there wasn’t of much use of it yet because Nico couldn’t refer to Jason as ‘ _they_ ’ to others without accidentally outing him, so at the moment they went with ‘ _he_ ’.  
  
He wasn’t ready to tell anyone else yet; even though he was about 88% sure Piper already figured him out and was waiting for him to be ready to tell her. Nico told him that if she knew, and hadn’t approached him with it as a problem and a reason to breakup; that possibly she had already accepted him.  
it was when Piper dropped a hint and introduced him to her dad with “This is Jason, They are my boyfriend!” that he understood that she knew. And Jason understood that Nico was right; she didn’t give a jack squat what gender he was as long as he was her Jason to kiss and hug. It made him cry when she held his face and told him she loved him with her whole heart anyway once he did come out to her.  
She admitted she had tried to get it out of Nico sometimes, but Nico had just run away or kept his mouth shut no matter how much she pestered him until she had said ‘ _I love him! I just want to understand him so I can support him. I want him to feel safe around me_.’ And Nico had said ‘ _you can start with telling him that_.’  
  
Jason was in the Zeus cabin, trying on clothes Piper had gotten for him. She knew he was scared of other’s opinions but aware that he still wanted to try expanding his closet. So she bought him shirts, pants and other accessories that leaned towards the more androgynous levels. But not too much to give it away; though he didn’t care what anyone thought of his pink pajamas pants with kittens and cupcakes all over it. He loved those, they were “awesome!” and he’d stare anyone down who dared insult them.  
Nico didn’t push Jason to come out, because he knew how tough it was to come out and tell people ‘ _hey guys I’m a deviant of nature! Please don’t reject me!_ ’ even if Piper told them both multiple times that neither of them were deviants and to have a little bit more faith in their friends. But she didn’t push them, but she was glad they had each other to talk to.  
  
Jason lay on a mattress in the Zeus cabin as Piper lay in his bed. Nico was brushing his teeth and soon returned to his own mattress on the floor next to Jason’s. The three of them were having a sleepover and were having a good talk. Piper was braiding Nico’s hair and Jason had a pillow in Nico’s lap and looked up at his two out of three favorite people in the world. Leo was going to join them later because he was in an iris message date-call with Calypso.  
But until then the three of them were talking about how to break it down to Leo. Jason had decided it was only right Leo got to know after the pyromaniac had graciously defended Jason’s choice of wearing a pink champ half-blood shirt one day when Clarisse had started making fun of him. Leo had called her out on it and then proceeded to accidentally set fire to her canoe.  
  
Nico stroked his fingers through Jason’s blonde hair as Piper made little braids in Nico’s black, thick, hair. Honestly Nico just loved the feeling of someone playing with his hair and he was comfortable enough around Piper to let her.  
Piper had a small radio with her that Leo had fixed so it wouldn’t attract monsters. With some popular music playing on low in the background the three of them talked about how gender is viewed in books, movies and other media forms. Piper pointed out how she was glad that she was a female warrior, because fantasy novels needed more strong heroines. Nico and Jason both agreed.  
  
It made Jason want to write his own novel, with all kinds of diversity in it. Because here’s the thing; why not? Why can’t more than half of the character cast be some kind of queer, why can’t the main person be a bigender black asexual girl? Many would argue that that is ‘ _too many, that makes no sense_ ’ no shut up it makes perfect sense to have a complex character like that because these people are real and they need to be heard and seen! ‘ _Ok but it still doesn’t make sense that all the characters are queer and poc in some way’_ oh so it makes perfect sense that more than 80% of books today is about white cis straight people which most of them are male? ‘ _But that’s what everyone can relate to._ ’  
Jason could feel his eyes roll so hard it made him gag. People like him never related to those characters, and he was pretty damn sure there was more who felt like he did.  
  
When Leo came into the cabin he did it with style. He snapped his fingers and two little flames flared in them.  
“Calm down ladies, Leo has arrived. No offence Piper.” He winked her way and she shook her head smiling.  
“Are you implying I’m a girl?” Nico asked looking confused and Leo laughed.  
“I’m joking, geez, did you have to invite mr gloomy?” Leo chuckled.  
“He’s not gloomy, he just looks that way.” Jason smiled and he deserved the snap Nico gave him with his fingers.  
  
Leo dumped his bag on the third mattress on the floor, the one next to Jason’s. He emptied his bag and out flew chips and candy.  
“Enjoy!” Leo grinned triumphantly “Chocolate rain.” He added as he emptied his pockets with chocolate bars.  
“Wow Leo you went all out!” Piper chimed.  
Leo sat down cross-legged on his bed “Of course! You know me.”  
Nico nicked some cola and Jason sat up with an unsure expression on his face, like there was something on his mind and he wasn’t sure how to form his words.  
“Nice braids.” Leo grinned to Nico, who gave him a glare. “Hey, I meant it! you look all cherooke styled with that. You’re just missing the feathers!”  
“Leo!” Piper groaned. “You know how I feel about that! Just because I make braids doesn’t mean I’m goig to shove feathers in my them and teach the rain dance.”  
“Woah Piper, chill. I was just goofing around. I’m the Mexican elf, remember?”  
She huffed. “still.” But she claimed a bag of chips and all was alright.  
  
Then after a bit of goofing and laughing, Jason aid there was something he wanted to tell him. And Leo listened.  
When Leo had been informed, Jason had expected him to be at least weirded out but all Leo di was pop a gum in his mouth and say; “Wow, that sounds pretty rough. Although, thanks for telling me, I’ll keep it in mind for the future.” He chewed a few times before adding; “Does this mean you’re a lesbian some days then or…?”  
Jason chuckled and scratched his chin. “uh, no, I think I’d identify as straight still but, er, I’m still a bit unsure about all the terms so I just wanted you to know that, you know, I’m not binary. Are we.. good?”  
“Yeah man of course we’re cool! I mean, dude- er- pal- uh..“  
“it’s alright Leo I’m still a guy, too.”  
“Yeah but, after all you guys told me now I feel like I should try come up with a more neutral world. Pal works, and I use ‘bro’ for girls too. Uh, I will think of something.”  
“Thanks, but please don’t treat me any different or anything I.. I don’t think I’d.. you know..”  
“Nooo, nooo!” Leo waved his hands. “Dude- Jason you’re still my best friend! I don’t care what or who you are as long as you’re happy! Unless you were like, going to do drugs and shit because I’m not up for that, no sir! … ma’am!... sirmam?”  
Jason smiled. “You don’t have to, y’know.. it’s alright Leo. As long as you know and you’re okay with it, it’s fine.”  
“Alright.” Leo nodded but still seemed unsure about it. Like he had questions but didn’t want to be rude. Leo was the kind of person who rather asked things in private, so Jason knew the questions would come later. All the do’s and don’ts. But for now he was just happy that that was all there was to Leo; Jason could handle questions. He rather takes all the questions in the world and educates his loved ones than have them reject him.  
The questions could be hard to answer, and bring out a lot of anxieties. But the alternative to it was a hell he did not want to be in, so he tried to be patient. Besides, eventually the questions would run out, and everything would feel normal.  
  
The night went on, they played games and listened to the radio. They drank soda and got to know each other better; for instance that Leo thought he might be bisexual, he wasn’t sure yet but it was definitely something he had been wondering about. In turn to that Nico quietly admitted he was gay; much to Leo’s wide surprise but then “you know that makes TOTAL sense actually.”  
Jason smiled as he saw Nico crawl out of his guarded shell. And he was glad that with that; Leo didn’t seem scared of Nico any more, like the ‘ _oh you’re gay’_ made the whole ‘ _scary death guy’_ turn into ‘ _oh you’re just scared people will hate you so you put up a front, got it’_.  
  
Piper put her arms around Jason and kissed his cheek. When he turned to look at her, he stared deep into a pair of gentle colorful eyes. He smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead.  
He was so content here… Here with the three best people he knew. His two best friends, his girlfriend… All that really missed was his sister Thalia.  
Jason thought to himself that telling her would be the next step. But that time had not come yet, he wasn’t ready. But when he was, he would face her, and he would have these people backing him up. He had a feeling Thalia wouldn’t care, really.. But he barely knew Thalia and you never know how people will react to these sorts of things.  
  
But for now, right this moment, he felt great. He wasn’t sure yet about himself; there was so much to discover and think about. Jason was still walking on a minefield, testing out who he was, what he liked, where he wanted to be with himself in the future.  
All he knew was that he wasn’t binary. And to put it like Piper; “at least it’s a start. Let’s go from there.” And she was right. It was a start, and a start is better than nothing. He would figure out the terms and words later when he found one that felt right, until then he was just floating aimlessly in the gender-queer spectrum, looking for answers.  
But at least he didn’t feel alone doing so any more.  
it didn’t feel as made-up in his head, it felt more real saying it out loud and seeing his friends and loved ones reactions. To talk to someone about it, ball ideas and thoughts, it made the searching easier. To have people who tried to understand and stood open minded and embraced him; it made him feel safer.  
it would be okay.  
  
Jason was going to be okay.


End file.
